This invention is directed to ostomy systems wherein a pouch and a mounting wafer are adhesively coupled, and more particularly to an ostomy system wherein pouch peel-off or pull-away forces exerted on a mounting wafer during pouch separation from the mounting wafer can be substantially isolated from the abdominal area underlying the mounting wafer.
An adhesively coupled ostomy system such as shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/609,318 includes a pouch with a face plate that is adhesively secured to a body side mounting wafer. The ostomy system, because of a releasable and resealable adhesive coupling arrangement, permits repositioning of the pouch relative to the body side mounting wafer. Thus, once a pouch has been adhesively secured to a mounting wafer, the pouch can be removed and resecured as desired to obtain optimum positioning of the pouch on the mounting wafer.
To facilitate repositioning or removal of the pouch after it has been adhesively secured to a body side mounting wafer, a finger grippable tab is provided on the face plate of the pouch for gripping between the thumb and forefinger for example. During pouch removal when the pouch is gripped at the face plate tab the pull away or peeling force is directed through the tab and the face plate of the pouch thereby minimizing any stretching of the pouch envelope. Thus the pouch can be detached and repositioned on the mounting wafer for optimum adjustment.
However, the pull away force of the pouch is generally resisted at the mounting wafer and felt by the user at the underlying abdominal area. Since the underlying abdominal area is often sensitive to stress, the pull away or separation force of the pouch from the mounting wafer can be discomforting to the user.
It is thus desirable to provide an adhesively coupled ostomy system that enables the pouch pull away force from the mounting wafer to be isolated at the mounting wafer to minimize stressing the abdominal area underlying the mounting wafer.